“Let them eat cake” is a phrase attributed to Marie Antoinette, although there is no record that she uttered the words. Regardless of who may have said it, the short sentence is widely used to describe the indifference of the ruling class toward the suffering of the poor.
Biden is having his own “let them eat cake moment,” as Americans realize he is completely removed from their daily struggles to survive in the economy he helped to create.
A recent NewsNation poll suggests it’s even worse than many realize. Fifty-eight percent of respondents say they live from paycheck to paycheck, with all money going towards basic necessities like housing and food, with none left to save or spend on other things.
As Biden faces a 58% disapproval rating of his economy, more than 90% are concerned about inflation. More alarming for Team Biden, Americans know who is to blame. Forty-two percent of those polled say they lay responsibility squarely on Biden, and 45% say they are worse off now than a year ago.
Democrat strategists have pointed out that Biden’s “desire to claim credit” for “a steady economy” is the key factor in his campaign’s disconnect with the average American. No one cares that inflation has “fallen from its peak,” especially when that peak came shortly after Biden took office in the first place.
Biden’s attempt to play up a robust economy is falling on deaf ears. Americans don’t want to hear about a “rebounding economy” when they cannot pay bills. Words mean nothing, and they won’t buy groceries.
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon says Biden needs to tell people that he understands their suffering. Despite the pain, his administration should say it is “making progress,” and Biden needs a second term to continue that process.
But that’s the exact strategy Biden has been using, and it isn’t working. Biden is incapable of connecting with the average American on economic issues. He lacks the experience to do so.
While Biden frequently highlights “positive economic indicators” like job numbers and low unemployment rates, he avoids directly confronting inflation, a concern even acknowledged by some Democrats. With the election approaching, Democrats criticize the White House and doubt its ability to attract undecided voters. According to one Democratic strategist, the administration fails to grasp the true impact of inflation due to its reluctance to admit fault. The strategist suggests that its messaging will hold little weight unless the administration acknowledges inflation as a significant problem and takes responsibility for it.
But for now, Biden is just another rich person in charge who finds it easy to tell Americans to suck it up. And Democrats fear that’s a messaging strategy guaranteed to lose him the 2024 election.
